WAG Flyaway Mental Block

[elliisssee]

I know many gymnasts get mental blocks on flyaways. And they get over them eventually. But I've been terrified to do a flyaway (into the pit even) for months. My coaches are sick of it. I know how to do it. When to let go, when to flip, to see your toes. But does anyone have any advice on just overcoming the mental block? I also have one on tumbling out of a back handspring. I'll do round off back layouts and on tumble track I'll do round of back fulls, I just won't flip out of a handspring!! Very frustrating!!

 

[eucoach]

You've mentioned that you know how to do a flyaway (I assume you never hit the bar or let go way too early). So my suggestion is to just focus on one thing when you go for it. Don't think about when to let go or what to do or where to look. You're probably already able to do that and overthinking it and making it much worse. It might help you to just focus on the actual hand motion that will make you let go of the bar. Practice that by lying on the floor with a floor bar and just let go of it several times. Also.....make a deal with yourself (and your coaches). Give yourself one try and if you don't let go, stop doing flyaways for that day. Don't allow yourself to bail - it will only make it worse.

For the bhs problem: Do lots of bhs series (I assume you don't have a block on that) and roundoff - bhs straight jumps onto a mat - if possible also onto stacked mats into a shoulder stand. And again - give yourself one chance to go for the back salto after the bhs. If you bail - don't allow yourself to try again during that practice.

Good luck!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

vestibular.

 

[dmytv]

my dd had a terrible time with the fly away connected to the giant. So much so, that she learned a lv9 dismount before she could perfect the lv 7 layout fly away. Aspotting belt waas the only thing that helped her. Her coach would put her in the belt, then at the right time on the pit bar, he pulled on her and told her to let go. It did work and now she has the layout fly away.

Sent from my 754TPC using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[CapeTownMum]

My DD had her flyaway until her coach told her one day that her feet were very close to the bar.....needless to say she had a mental block for a good few months after! Including during her provincial qualifier where she went for the flyaway but didn't let go! When she realised she could've won the meet if she had done her flyaway, she got over that mental block + hasn't looked back since. Lots of grey hairs later for me though!

 

[Gymsanity]

vestibular.

So are all mental blocks 'vestibular'?

To the OP, do your coaches spot you on your flyaway?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

almost always....

 

[sglemon]

Not always vestibular, my dd is dealing with a mental block on her flyaway and it is 100% fear. She is scared to death about hitting her feet, because if she hurts her feet, she can't dance en pointe. Pointe is her dream, gymnastics isn't. She feels more comfortable with a pike flyaway, because she feels the pike keeps her feet further from the bar. Her coaches and I are not fighting her on the skill, just letting it develop at her pace.